The Mishnah is the first major work of rabbinic literature, consisting of teachings transmitted over hundreds of years and compiled around 200 CE. Pirkei Avot (literally “Chapters of the Fathers,” also known as “Ethics of our Fathers”) consists of short statement of advice, ethics and wisdom.
He used to say: do not despise any man, and do not discriminate against anything, for there is no man that has not his hour, and there is no thing that has not its place.
There are four types of charity givers. He who wishes to give, but that others should not give: his eye is evil to that which belongs to others; He who wishes that others should give, but that he himself should not give: his eye is evil towards that which is his own; He who desires that he himself should give, and that others should give: he is a pious man; He who desires that he himself should not give and that others too should not give: he is a wicked man.
The Talmud is the textual record of generations of rabbinic debate about law, philosophy, and biblical interpretation, compiled between the 3rd and 8th centuries and structured as commentary on the Mishnah. Tractate Berakhot (“Blessings”) is part of the Talmud and discusses the laws of prayers, focusing on the Shema, the Amidah, and blessings, including those recited in the context of eating.
Come and hear: Great is human dignity, as it overrides a prohibition in the Torah.
Tractate Megillah (“Scroll”) is part of the Talmud and discusses the laws of public reading of sacred texts and prayers.
Rabbi Neḥunya ben HaKana was asked by his disciples: In [the merit of] which [virtue] were you [blessed with] longevity? He said to them: In [all] my days, I never attained veneration at [the expense of] my fellow’s degradation. Nor did my fellow’s curse go up with me upon my bed. [If ever I offended someone, I made sure to appease him that day. Therefore, when I went to bed I knew that no one had any grievances against me.] And I was openhanded with my money.
Tractate Bava Batra ("The Last Gate") is part of the Talmud and discusses relations between neighbors, presumptions of ownership and deeds, and laws of sales and inheritance.
It is taught: Rabbi Meir would say: An opponent may bring an argument against you and say to you: If your God loves the poor, for what [reason] does He not support them [Himself]? Say to him: [God commands us to act as His agents in sustaining the poor,] so that through them we will be [credited with the performance of mitzvot and therefore be] saved from the judgment of Gehenna. And this is the question that Turnus Rufus the wicked asked Rabbi Akiva: If your God loves the poor, for what [reason] does He not support them [Himself? Rabbi Akiva] said to him: [God commands us to sustain the poor,] so that through them [and the charity we give them] we will be saved from the judgment of Gehenna.
The Mishneh Torah (“Repetition of the Torah”) is a monumental legal code written by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam, also know as Maimonides) in Egypt in the late 12th century.
We are commanded to give a poor person according to what he lacks. If he lacks clothes, we should clothe him. If he lacks household utensils, we should purchase them for him. If he is unmarried, we should help him marry. And for an unmarried woman, we should find a husband for her.
Even if the personal habit of this poor person was to ride on a horse and to have a servant run before him and then he became impoverished and lost his wealth, we should buy a horse for him to ride and a servant to run before him. [This is implied by Deuteronomy 15:8 which] speaks [of providing him with] "enough to [fill the] lack that he feels." You are commanded to fill his lack, but you are not obligated to enrich him.
If a poor person asks one for a donation and he has nothing to give him, he should conciliate him with words. It is forbidden to scold a poor person or to raise one's voice against him while shouting, because his heart is broken and crushed, and [Psalms 51:19] states: "God will not scorn a broken and crushed heart." And [Isaiah 57:15 describes as Divine the attribute of] "reviv[ing] the spirit of the lowly and revitalize[ing] the heart of the crushed." Woe unto he who shames the poor, woe be he! Instead, one should be like a father to him, both in mercies and in words, as [Job 29:16] states: "I am a father to the destitute."
There are eight levels in charity, each level surpassing the other. The highest level beyond which there is none is a person who supports a Jew who has fallen into poverty [by] giving him a present or a loan, entering into partnership with him, or finding him work so that his hand will be fortified so that he will not have to ask others [for alms]. Concerning this [Leviticus 25:35] states: "You shall support him, the stranger, the resident, and he shall live among you." Implied is that you should support him before he falls and becomes needy. A lower [level] than this is one who gives charity to the poor without knowing to whom he gave and without the poor person knowing from whom he received. For this is an observance of the mitzvah for its sake alone. This [type of giving was] exemplified by the secret chamber that existed in the Temple. The righteous would make donations there in secret and poor people of distinguished lineage would derive their livelihood from it in secret.
A level close to this is giving to a charity fund. A person should not give to a charity fund unless he knows that the person managing it is faithful, wise, and capable of administering it in a proper manner as Rebbe Chananya ben Tradyon was. A lower level than that is an instance when the giver knows to whom he is giving, but the poor person does not know from whom he received. An example of this were the great Sages who would go in secret and throw money into the doorways of the poor. This is a worthy way of giving charity and it is a good quality [to express] if the trustees of the charitable fund are not conducting themselves appropriately. A lower level than that is an instance when the poor person knows from whom he took, but the donor does not know to whom he gave. An example of this were the great Sages who would bundle coins in a sheet and hang them over their shoulders and the poor would come and take them so that they would not be embarrassed. A lower level than that is giving [the poor person] in his hand before he asks. A lower level than that is giving him after he asks. A lower level than this is giving him less than what is appropriate, but with a pleasant countenance. A lower level than that is giving him with sadness.